13 fright flicks you should know about

Halloween approaches and there is no better way to celebrate the spookiest of all holidays than with a scary movie, the cornerstone of any ghoulishly good time.

Now, you really don't need anyone to tell you that “The Exorcist,” “Psycho” and “The Shining” are classics of the horror oeuvre. Heck, you're probably the kind of fear aficionado who knows your “Pan's Labyrinth” from your “Poltergeist,” your “Silence of the Lambs” from your “Suspiria.” And if you're anything like us (read: die-hard gore hounds) you have already sniffed out all the new contenders, from “Insidious 2”³ to the “Carrie” remake.

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But you might not know that “Let the Right One In,” “High Tension” and “Black Christmas” are some of the most memorable movies in the horror movie genre.

That's why we've come up with this list of 13 essential if lesser-known films in the canon. These are under-the-radar gems that will give even the staunchest viewer goose bumps. Some are a little campy, others arty, but they are all unforgettable in their own gasp-inducing way. Call it a connoisseur's guide to the creeps. Here are 13 horror movies you need to know.

“Black Christmas” (1974): Forget “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” — this earlier offering is truly the most important and influential slasher film of all time. It's also arguably the best. “Black Christmas,” which predated “Halloween” by four years, wrote the rule book for the modern-day slasher flick. It's a tale of a group of college coeds being stalked by an insane killer — a plot that, through the years, has become oh-so cliche. Yet, “Black Christmas” has aged remarkably well and still delivers the creeps like few other films. Ironically, it was directed by Bob Clark, who would go on to spin an entirely different kind of holiday classic with 1983”²s “A Christmas Story.”

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.